2. (S/NF) The Ambassador, accompanied by LegAtt and PolOff, met with UNIIIC Commissioner Daniel Bellemare in Monteverde on January 26. Bellemare explained that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) has 60 days starting March 1 to request the GOL to transfer the four generals, currently held in Lebanese custody in connection with the assassination of former PM Rafiq Hariri, to the STL in The Hague. Bellemare, carefullyasserting that he had "no comment" on whether or not he has a case against the generals, added that there is no time frame from the date of request by which they must actually be transferred.

3. (S/NF) Bellemare said he suspected that Lebanese Public Prosecutor Saiid Mirza wants the generals transferred to the STL. Bellemare explained that, while it has been pointed out to him that no one can dictate to the STL how long the STL can detain the generals, implying that Bellemare could detain them indefinitely in The Hague, he disagreed with this approach in part because he feared that he might face legal pressure (by the STL itself)... 4. (S/NF) Bellemare noted that one concern held by the Dutch government is that the generals would seek asylum if released by the STL. Another worry is that one of the four, former

Surete Generale DG General Jamil Sayyad, would run in the

parliamentary elections, an idea evidently supported by

opposition leader Suleiman Franjieh and Hizballah.

5. (S/NF) Bellemare further expressed concern thattransferring the generals could be a dangerous operation, noting that Hizballah does not want the generals to leave Lebanon. A transfer would need to be coordinated with Lebanese authorities, making the operation even more vulnerable because of possible Hizballah penetration of those authorities, in his view. If the GOL decides to release the four, it should put as much distance between the generals' release and the parliamentary elections on June 7, Bellemare recommended. (Note: We agree. End note.)

6. (S/NF) Noting that he would return to Syria in February for the last time under Chapter VII authority, Bellemare stressed the urgency of receiving information from the U.S. to use during interrogations. "If there is assistance to provide," he pleaded, "Please provide it now." Specifically, he requested information on "human vulnerabilities, suggestions on questions to ask, people who do not fit into our charts, partial answers we can use to test the subjects." Bellemare explained that the level of interrogation his consultants would employ during this trip to Syria would be "very different from previous visits, but I need the ammunition to conduct these interrogations."

7. (S/NF) Bellemare complained that the Syrians treat UNIIIC as "school kids in short pants." He explained, "They provide us with 40,000 pages in Arabic. After we translate them and find nothing of interest, they feign surprise and hand us another 40,000 pages in Arabic." He assessed that the Syrians are nervous because they do not know what information UNIIIC has collected to date.

8. (S/NF) Bellemare said that the four of the eleven STL judges who are Lebanese have chosen to move back and forth between The Hague and Lebanon. Acknowledging the security concern, Bellemare said he suspected the judges conditioned their acceptance to the position on retaining freedom of movement. (Comment: One of our Embassy LES members suggested that he knew the identity of one of the judges because the Internal Security Forces had recently beefed up security outside of the judge's residence. End comment.)

9. (C) According to Bellemare, appointing a Lebanese Deputy Prosecutor has become problematic. He reported that during January 2008, he interviewed candidates and the UN Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) will submit his confidential recommendation to the cabinet, which will appoint the individual. He expected that the cabinet would discuss the appointment in time for the March 1 deadline (reftel). However, he relayed that he heard majority leaderSaad Hariri was displeased with his recommendation, believing the candidate is "too independent", and may request his Future Movement ministers to block the appointment.

10. (C) Bellemare noted that Public Prosecutor Saiid Mirza, close to Saad, supported Bellemare's recommendation. Acknowledging that he could start work without a deputy, making an appointment without delay is nonetheless important for symbolic purposes because the deputy position is a Lebanese national.

11. (C) The power of the veto also worried Bellemare as he considered the potential composition of the next cabinet. Bellemare wondered whether a cabinet dominated by what is currently the opposition would attempt to stop GOL funding to the STL, despite its obligations under an international agreement....

Emirati and Bahraini officials dismissed on Tuesday the WikiLeaks documents revealing the hostility of Arab Gulf states towards Iran as reflecting "an American point of view."
"The leaks reflect, originally, an American point of view," United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammad Gargash told reporters when asked to comment on the WikiLeaks documents."Several memos were taken out of context and did not take into consideration the events that surrounded certain meetings," Gargash said.
Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa echoed him in statements carried by the official BNA news agency in Manama. The leaked documents "reflect the analyses of US officials and their evaluation of meetings with leaders and officials in the region," he said.
Saudi Arabia said on Monday it was "not concerned" by the revelations. "These documents do not concern the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Nor has the kingdom had any role in producing them," foreign ministry spokesman Osama Nugali told AFP.

"... On Iran's potential nuclear weapons status, results show another dramatic shift in public opinion. While the results vary from country to country, the weighted average across the six countries is telling: in 2009, only 29% of those polled said that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons would be "positive" for the Middle East; in 2010, 57% of those polled indicate that such an outcome would be "positive" for the Middle East. ..."

".. Headlines in the heavily state-controlled Saudi media were dominated by news of King Abdullah's ongoing physiotherapy, while the top story in the Emirati newspaper, Al Bayan, centered on Prince Mohamad bin Rashid's praise for the country's progress toward "transparency." Most mentions of the WikiLeaks documents in official Arabic news outlets were scrubbed of any reference to the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, focusing instead on U.S. attempts to control the damage to its diplomatic relations.
Even the Qatar-based Al Jazeera, considered one of the most credible pan-Arab news outlets, tread lightly in its coverage and generally refrained from repeating the most incendiary quotes from the heads of neighboring states..."

".. Approximately 86 percent of Israeli Jews believe any final Knesset decision regarding the country's future political arrangement must be approved by a Jewish majority, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Israel Democratic Institute.More than 62 percent of Israeli Jewish respondents also said that as long as conflict with the Palestinians continued, the state should not take into account Israeli Arab opinions regarding foreign policy.the study also found that 53 percent of Israeli Jews believe the state has the right to encourage Arab citizens to emigrate, while 55 percent said Jewish cities should receive more government resources than Arab communities..."

(S/NF) Soliman anticipated that Hezbollah's recent defeat in the Lebanese parliamentary elections would force the group

to "remain quiet for sometime" as they rebuild domestic

support and counter the perception that Hezbollah is a "tool of outsiders." With Iran itself focusing on domestic issues, he continued, it was a "good time to make changes" in Lebanon

and reduce Iran's influence. Egypt will support a Saad

Hariri government and the Lebanese army, Soliman emphasized.

¶6. (S/NF) Soliman said that Iran heeded Egypt's warning against meddling in domestic affairs (ref B) and supporting groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. He received a "very positive message" from Iran's intelligence chief indicating that Iran would not interfere in Egypt. Egypt planned to

"remain quiet inside Iran" for the time being, but would

continue to recruit agents who "will do what we ask," if Iran

insists on interfering in Egypt. "We hope Iran will stop supporting Hamas,the Muslim Brotherhood and other cells" within Egypt Soliman said, "but if not - we are ready." Soliman said Iranian President Ahmadinejad wanted to attend the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) conference in Egypt July 11-16. If he did attend, President Mubarak would meet with him and clearly explain that Iranian interference in "Arab issues" was unacceptable. "We are ready for good relations with Iran," Soliman noted, but only if Iran ceased interfering and supporting terrorists in the region.

Soliman expressed concern that Iranian influence in Iraq would spread after the re-deployment of U.S. troops out of Iraqi cities and the eventual drawdown. General Petraeus noted that 130,000 U.S. troops remain and that the drawdown would be gradual. He expressed confidence that Iranian

- (S/NF) During an April 21 meeting with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, Egyptian General Intelligence Service Chief Omar Soliman explained that his overarching regional goal was combating radicalism, especially in Gaza, Iran, and Sudan.On Gaza, Soliman said Egypt must "confront" Iranian attempts to smuggle arms to Gaza and "stop" arms smuggling through Egyptian territory.... On Iran, Soliman said Egypt was "succeeding" in preventing Iran from funneling financial support to Hamas through Egypt. Soliman hoped that the U.S. could encourage Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions and stop interfering in regional affairs, but cautioned that Iran "must pay a price"for its actions.... "Egypt is circled by radicalism," he continued, expressing concern over instability in Sudan and Somalia as well....

¶3. (S/NF) "We do not want incidents like Gaza to inflame public anger," Soliman said, adding that the Gaza conflict put "moderate (Arab) regimes" in a corner. ...Egypt is focusing on Palestinian reconciliation and a durable cease-fire between Hamas and Israel. On reconciliation, Soliman explained, the ultimate goal was to return the Palestinian Authority to Gaza,.. Soliman said the PA must return before the January 2010 Palestinian elections, or else Gazans would be afraid to vote for moderates...

¶7. (S/NF) Egypt has "started a confrontation with Hezbollah and Iran," Soliman stressed, and "we will not allow Iran to operate in Egypt." Soliman said Egypt had sent a clear message to Iran that if they interfere in Egypt, Egypt will interfere in Iran, adding that EGIS had already begun recruiting agents in Iraq and Syria. Soliman hoped the U.S. would "not walk the same track as the Europeans" in regards to negotiating with Iran and warned against only focusing on one issue at time, like Iran's nuclear weapons program. Iran must "pay the price" for its actions and not be allowed to interfere in regional affairs. "If you want Egypt to cooperate with you on Iran, we will," Soliman added, "it would take a big burden off our shoulders."

¶3. (S) MGM said he saw little chance of resolving Lebanon's domestic political crisis prior to the Lebanese presidential election in November 2007. Consequently, some had raised the

idea of "putting the tribunal in the freezer" until that

time, in hopes that a delay in setting up the tribunal would

aid PM Siniora to break the political deadlock. "Of course,

we (neither he nor Chirac) are not advocating this idea," MGM stressed at several points. Nevertheless, he continued, the

Lebanese themselves might ask the French and the U.S. to put

the tribunal on ice, in part because Siniora would need the

opposition's helpin order to deliver the economic reforms

that the GOL is promising at this week's conference. The only other option, MGM continued, would be to change the scope of the tribunal itself -- something France found unacceptable. When pressed on why the French were contemplating a change in their approach to the tribunal at this point -- especially when it was unclear that Lebanon's opposition had the upper hand -- MGM made another (and somewhat jumbled) reference to the need to obtain the opposition's support for economic reform...."

Lebanon/Hizballah/ -------------------------- ¶6. (S) Noting Lebanese PM Siniora's January 16 visit to the UAE, MbZ characterized Siniora as &a good man. We are supporting him." MbZ said that Hizballah has made a "big mistake" in estimating its support in Lebanon, and has "played it wrong -- they do not have the support of the majority of the Lebanese people." MbZ discussed with Abizaid the military technology that Hizballah used in 2006, specifically noting the amount of anti-tank weapons that Hizballah possessed. Abizaid acknowledged that Hizballah has access to weapons technology that most Arab states don't have.MbZ interrupted the conversation to state explicitly that he wants the U.S. to understand that the UAE was not involved in the transfer of those weapons or technologies in any way. ....

"... One of the few countries which may stand to benefit from the WikiLeaks revelations appears to be Israel. Countless documents indicate that several countries in the Middle East are much more concerned about Iran obtaining nuclear weapons than they have let on in public. One dispatch reveals that Saudi Arabia had urged the US to "cut off the head of the snake" by attacking Iran...

"These (disclosures) don't hurt Israel at all -- perhaps the opposite," Giora Eiland, a former national security advisor to ex-prime ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert, told Israeli radio according to the Associated Press. "If there is something on the Iranian issue that, in my opinion, happens to help Israel, it is that these leaks show that Arab countries like Saudi Arabia are far more interested in Iran than they are in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.".."

".. US Representative Peter King, a Republican from New York and the incoming chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, has requested the administration of US President Barack Obama to "determine whether WikiLeaks could be designated a foreign terrorist organization," according to the website CNET News. "WikiLeaks appears to meet the legal criteria," King wrote in a letter to Clinton, which has been seen by the website. "WikiLeaks presents a clear and present danger to the national security of the United States."Senator Joseph Lieberman, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, has likewise called for WikiLeaks to be shut down..."

S E C R E T TEL AVIV 000654
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019
TAGS: PRELPTERPGOVKWBGIRIS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL'S RELATIONS WITH THE GULF STATES FOCUS ON
IRAN, PERCEPTION OF ISRAELI INFLUENCE IN WASHINGTON
REF: TEL AVIV 605
Classified By: DCM Luis G. Moreno, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)
¶1. (S) Summary. MFA Deputy Director General for the Middle
East Yacov Hadas provided PolCouns March 16 with an overview
of Israel's relations with several of the Gulf states. Hadas
described Israel's relations with the Gulf as a function of
the Gulf Arabs' fear of Iran, but also as due to the Arabs'
belief in Israeli influence in Washington. Fleshing out some
of the points he had made earlier to NEA Acting A/S Feltman
(reftel),...
¶3. (S) While Hadas was critical of the Qataris' treatment of
Israel since the Gaza operation, he stressed that he thought
Qatar's policies were not a matter of a shift in ideology
toward the radical camp, but linked to their rivalry with the
Saudis and, by extension, with Egypt. In private settings,
Hadas noted that the Qatari leadership harbored "no
illusions" about Iran. Prince Hamad had told the Israelis in
October 2006 that he believed Iran was determined to develop
a nuclear bomb no matter the cost. According to Hadas, Hamad
complained at the time that he felt the U.S. would not listen
to him and tended to believe what it heard from Iran.
¶4. (S) Hadas reiterated the point he had made to Feltman
regarding Oman, calling the Omanis the "most problematic" of
the Gulf states in terms of their view of Iran... He did not think Oman would be
willing to join the rest of the GCC against Iran.
¶5. (S) Hadas agreed that the UAE was increasingly hostile to
Iran, but there remained a question as to how far they were
prepared to go. The UAE has extensive trade and financial
relations with Iran, including money laundering, and it was
unclear whether they were ready to use these relations as
leverage. Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdallah has developed
good personal relations with Foreign Minister Livni, but the
Emiratis are "not ready to do publicly what they say in
private." (Note: It was clear from Hadas' remarks that
Israel's channel to Saudi Arabia does not run through the
Foreign Ministry.)
¶6. (S) Hadas said the Gulf Arabs believe in Israel's role
because of their perception of Israel's close relationship
with the U.S. but also due to their sense that they can count
on Israel against Iran. "They believe Israel can work
magic,"...
¶7. (C) PolCouns noted that Arabs say that progress on the
Palestinian track would make it easier for them to publicly
engage Israel. Hadas countered that while peace with the
Palestinians is an Israeli interest and important in its own
right, it should not be the sum total of Israel's relations
with the Arab World. Arab League Secretary General Amre
Moussa had invented the "never-ending hurdle race" in which
Israel could never do enough to deserve a positive response.
The Israeli-Palestinian track should not serve as an excuse
for the Gulf to avoid action, whether against Iran or through
practical steps to support the Palestinian Authority.

...."SPARE US YOUR EVIL": The King expressed hope the U.S. would review its Iran policy and "come to the right conclusion." Brennan responded that President Obama was personally reviewing U.S. Iran policy and wanted to hear the King's thoughts. Abdullah asserted that Iran is trying to set up Hizballah-like organizations in African countries, .... and declared "May God prevent us from falling victim to their evil." Mottaki had tendered an invitation to visit Iran, but Abdullah said he replied "All I want is for you to spare us your evil..... the bottom line is that they cannot be trusted."

The bombings, rare attacks in the Iranian capital, occurred ahead of a possible meeting between Iran and major powers next month to discuss the country's nuclear program. Analysts say information about Iran's nuclear activities is very valuable for the United States and its allies, particularly ahead of the meeting...

"Majid Shahriyari was martyred and his wife was injured ... Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani and his wife were both wounded," state radio said. "The attackers planted a bomb on each of the teachers' vehicles."...

Another nuclear scientist, Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, was killed by a remote controlled bomb in Tehran in January...Western sources said in January that Mohammadi worked closely with Fereydoun Abbassi-Davani, who was subjected to U.N. sanctions because of his work on suspected nuclear weapons development...."

"Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that "nobody can think that Hizbullah has a connection to the assassination of [former Lebanese prime minister] Rafik Hariri" Lebanese daily A-Safir reported Monday. In a conversation with reporters on his way back to Turkey after his last visit to Lebanon he addressed his meeting with the Hizbullah and the issue of the International Court.."

King Abdullah tells White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan it is "critically important" for the new president to restore America's credibility. Counterterrorism and intelligence co-operation have never been better. Abdullah also talks aobut his hostility to Iran. Key passage highlighted in yellow....

7. (S) HOW TO TRACK DETAINEES: "I've just thought of something," the King added, and proposed implanting detainees with an electronic chip containing information about them and allowing their movements to be tracked with Bluetooth. This was done with horsesand falcons, the King said. Brennan replied, "horses don,t have good lawyers," and that such a proposal would face legal hurdles in the U.S., but agreed that keeping track of detainees was an extremely important issue that he would review with appropriate officials when he returned to the United States..."

1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (SecDef) met with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini during an official visit to Rome on February 8... SecDef warned that a nuclear Iran would lead to greater proliferation in the Middle East, war, or both. SecDef agreed with Frattini that a United Nations conference highlighting security challenges in the Horn of Africa was a good idea. END SUMMARY.

2. (S/NF) Frattini opened by telling SecDef that the U.S. can count on Italy's full support on Afghanistan, Iran and fighting terror. ... Frattini wanted to get beyond "just talking" -- referencing the London conference ...

5. (S/NF) Frattini also asked about practical cooperation across the Afghan-Iranian border. Local incentives for cooperation might undermine weapons and drug trafficking and help co-opt reconcilable Taliban. SecDef noted that Iran is playing both sides of the street -- trying to be friendly with the Afghanistan government while trying to undermine ISAF efforts. He noted that intelligence indicated there was little lethal material crossing the Afghanistan-Iran border.SecDef suggested that trade route protection from Afghanistan into Eastern Iran, which is important for local economies on both sides of the border, might be a place to start. SecDef noted that any effort will need to be coordinated with Kabul. Frattini agreed this would be a good starting point..."